Fence-machine



(No Model.)

F. 8u M. NICOLAI.

FENCE MACHINE.

l No. 397,814. Patented Feb. 1 2, 1889.

Evala/hea Zai UNiTnD Sfrnfrns Arent CFFICE.

FRANK NICOLAI AND MICHAEL NICOLAI, OF BENTON, INDIANA.

FENCEHNIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 397,814, dated February 12, 1889.

Application tiled November 28, 1888. Serial No. 292,128. (No model.)

To all whom, ift 71mg/ concern.:

Be it known that we, FRANK NICOLAI and MICHAEL NIcoLAI, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Benton, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana,have yinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fence-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures 'of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wire-fence machines, such as are used in makinup wire-and-picket fences, the object thereof being to provide a simple, cheap, and effective apparatus for weaving in the field fences composed of two strands of wire twisted about the slats or pickets to hold them in place, the invention comprising a twisting apparatus and tension device, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside view of a fence-machine constructed in accordance with our improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the tension device. one of the twister-heads. f1 is a detail vertical sectional view of the twister.

A refers to the tension-bar, which is provided with three or more hails or staples, c, which pass lthrough the same, and are provided at their ends with washers and ad just ing-nuts a, for adjusting or clamping said loops or hails upon a baror tube, B. `leneath these bails or loops the tension-bar A is cnt away to form a semicircular depression, and partially within said cut-away portion the rollers or tighteners B are placed. 'These tightening-bars B are provided at one or both ends with perforations b, through which a suitable lever can pass for turning or rotating the same to tighten the wire or cord C, secured to the bars B on each side of the tension-bar A. To the loop portion of the wires C are secured eveners D, having sheaves d and d', and

over the sheave or pulley d the loop portion of the wire C passes, while the loop portion Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of of the wire which composes the fence is passed over the pulley d at the opposite end of the evener D. When the wires forming the fence are not looped, they may be twisted around the shcave or pulley CZ and attached to the central pulley. At the central portion of the tension-bar A is av twisted loop or bail, E, provided with an eye, with which an eyebolt engages, which eyebolt is adapted to be secured to a post, tree, or some other rigid object.

Then it is desired to construct a wire or picket fence, the strands or wires, which are twisted about the picket, have their free ends secured to a post, said wires being first passed around the pulleys d. The tig'hteiieibais B are then turned to tighten these wires, and after they are sufficiently tightened the nuts a are turned to draw the tighteners B snugly into the semicircular depressions in tensionbar A and hold them against rotation with just sufiicient force to maintain the desired tension on the fence-wires, but to`allow them to rotate or slip within said depressions to compensate for the fence-wire that is gradually taken up by the addition of pickets.

The twisting device shown in Figs. l and t consists of a bar, F,which has attached at suitable points brackets f f, between which are journaled cog-wheels G, these cog-wheels having two teeth, both on the same side of the center of said wheels, cut deeper than the other teeth, as shown at g. The bar F is provided with a slot, H, through which passes a handle, 71, having a [lat shank, h ,which is seen red to the reciprocating bar l by bolt-s, and this slot ll is of substantially the same length as the rack-plate K, secured to the bars Lto engage androtate thc cog-wheels G when the bar I is reciprocated. "lo the edge of the bar F, to lie over the slot H, is secured a ,spring latch-bar, l., which is provided with notches b and b', which hold the handle attached to the reciprocating bar I when it has reached its limit of movement. This latch-bar has its upper end bent outwardly to form a convenient thumb-piece, Im, by means of which it may be thrown to one side to release the handle.

The operation of our improvement is as follows: A post (not shown) is fixed at any de IOO sired point and the end of the fence-wires cured thereto in pairs or double, as preferred. The other ends of these fence-wires are then connected with the cvcners D, carried by the tighteners B, which are secured to the tension-bar A, and the tension-har is secured or anchored at any desired point. The tightener-rods B are then turned and the wires stretched and equally tightened and the twisting device is then applied by set-ting it upon the wires which are placed in the recesses or deep-cut teeth g g. Now when the handle is either pushed up or down it will turn the cogwheels half-way round to completely cross the wires. A picket is then inserted in place between the post and the twister and the spring-catch moved out of engagement with i the handle, when the bar which carries the racks can be moved by the handle to cross the wi rcs in an opposite direction to secure a picket without removing` the twisting` device from the wires.

lVe are aware that prior to our invention slotted cog-wheels have been employed for twisting` wires, said cog-wheels being adapted to be operated by a rack-bar which engages with the cog-wheels, as shownV in Patents Nos. Ill-0,251 and 360,505; also, that an evener-bar in connection with a tighteningr device carr ving' pulleys, as shown in latent No. 301,362, have heretofore been employed; and we do not therefore claim such devices, broadly; but,

lVhat we claiin as new, and desire to secure by Letters intent, i sl.. In a machine for making picket fences, the combination of a bar, l carrying' brackets between which cog-wheels are supported, y'

said bar having' a slot through which an opcrating-hamllc passes, said handle being attached to a reciprocating bar having,v rack teeth which engage with the cog-wheels, substantially as shown, whcrcb)- the reciprocating' movement ot' the rack-bar is limited by the length of the slot, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a wire-and-picketfence machine, of a wiremvisting` device, consisting' of a bar, F, having a longitudinal slot7 H, a spring latch-bar having' catches adjacent to the upper and lower end of the slot,with which the handle-bar engages, brackets supporting cog-wheels attached to the bar F, and a reciprocating bar, I, carrying rack-bars K, and a handle having,` a flat shank which passes through the slot in the barF, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set fort-h.

3. The combination, in a fence-machine, of a tension device consisting,` ot' a tension-bar, A, provided with seinicircular recesses at its rear edge, tightener-bars l2, bails (lf, embracing the bars B, eveners D, having pulleys d and d', and a bail or loop, E, at the center of the tensionbar A, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

-l-. ln a tension device for constructingwire fences, a tension-bar, A, provided on it-s rear face with semicircular recesses, tightcners B, hails c, passing through the tensioinbar on each side of said tighteners B, and looped to hold in position the tightening-bars B, the wire or connection C, secured to the rods B on each side of the bar A, and an evener, l), secured to the loop of the wire C, the bars 13 being; adapted to be turned by a suitable le ver and held against rot-ation by trictional contact with the `tension-bar by the bails n., substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

ln testimony whereof we atlix ou r si en atures Vin presence of two witnesses.

l" tANl NICOLAI. MICHAEL NICOLAI.

lVilnesscs:

ISAAC Snunons, JosIM-I W. Knonn. 

